PHOTOS: EMILIO BIANCHI
The launch of a yacht is always a cause for celebration. But the day the 55-meter (180-foot) Quinta Essentia, from Heesen Yachts, splashed was quite the party. Bongo players and other drummers performed for a crowd that included the yard’s management team and craftsmen as well as the owners. The interior walls of the build shed were adorned with fabrics hung like hammocks, and palm trees and colorful lighting added to the ambiance.
It was fitting, given that Quinta Essentia is Heesen’s largest megayacht to date. It was further fitting because the yacht is pretty colorful herself. The photos here give you a pretty good look at the rich red swaths on her hull. What you can’t see is the repetition of that color as an “eyebrow” over windows in her superstructure, as trim on her mast, and even as trim on her radomes. The owners collaborated with the stylists of Dobroserdov Design to develop the custom metallic color, which Awlgrip manufactured. It was inspired by their love of Tuscan wines, particularly merlot. The same color adorns a custom limo tender designed by Vripack and built by Vaudrey Miller. (That tender, by the way, is stowed in a drive-in, floodable toy bay, a first for Heesen.)
Inside, Quinta Essentia emphasizes minimalism, though with some punches of color to soften the effect. Designers Ken Freivokh and Michela Reverberi individually contributed elements. Freivokh’s imprint is most notable in the stairway and its surrounding atrium, which shimmers with light. Reverberi’s touches are particularly noteworthy through the incorporation of the elements of earth, water, air, and fire in the five guest staterooms. These include a main-deck VIP stateroom and two doubles below decks that can convert into one VIP suite. The master suite, also on the main deck, features a combination of the four elements in its decor. Why those elements? Because “quinta essentia” means quintessence, the fifth element that is thought to be the substance of heavenly bodies.
As for performance, this heavenly-themed yacht is far faster than most her size. Top speed is expected to be 24 knots, thanks to twin MTU 20V 4000 Series engines.
The 10-person crew and captain will have to make sure the main-deck pool and waterfall that fills it are turned off when she’s zooming along, though…
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